


Born for the Blue Skies

by Moon_Blitz



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Study, F/M, Pre-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-06
Updated: 2013-03-06
Packaged: 2017-12-04 11:50:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/710478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/pseuds/Moon_Blitz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of snapshots of Tenzin's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Born for the Blue Skies

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the mini-big bang over at [avatarbigbang](http://avatarbigbang.livejournal.com/) on LiveJournal.

 

Born for the Blue Skies

The earliest memory Tenzin had was of flying. The cold air rushing past his face, the snap of his robes as the wind caught them, and the sound of himself and his father laughing as the soared through the sky on Appa’s back. He had no idea how old he had been, or why they had been flying; all Tenzin knew was that he loved the sensation of flying ever since.

 

\- - -

“That’s it, you nearly got it!” his father encouraged with a smile, and Tenzin nodded back. He was five and a half, and well on his way to becoming an Airbender like his father. And that meant training every day. It wasn’t that he minded the work, what he did mind was his father not taking training his son as seriously as he should.

“Why must I learn how to do the air scooter again?” he asked after another failed attempt. Yes, it seemed interesting to be able to move that fast with nothing but air to support you, but he couldn’t see how it was useful. A glider was better for traveling shorter distances anyway.

“Because it’s fun!” his father replied with a grin and a laugh. “Sure, it’s not a ‘real’ Airbending technique, but that’s not the point. You’ll understand someday, Tenzin.”

The young Airbender stared at his father for a moment, then tried again. He _would_ master the air scooter, and maybe someday he would understand the point of it.

 

\- - -

“Tenzin! Come with me!” Bumi said unexpectedly, interrupting the eight-year-old’s meditation. Sighing and cracking open an eye, he stared up at his brother. Bumi pouted at his silence, adding, “Pleeaase? You’ve been sitting there for over an hour! Kya’s going to show me some cool waterbending moves Mom taught her - you should come watch!”

Tenzin opened his other eye and considered the offer for a moment, then shook his head. “Sorry, but Father told me to keep up my meditating. You know how important it is to him that I develop my Airbending skills.”

Bumi frowned at that, then grinned and knelt down to give his brother a tight hug. “You win this time, little bro. Just don’t give yourself a headache trying not to think too much, ‘kay?”

“I’ll try not to,” Tenzin replied, rolling his shoulders and neck once the hug finally ended. His brother giggled at him, then ran off, shouted to Kya that he was coming. The young Airbender closed his eyes again and breathed deeply, trying to recapture the peace he had felt before. He could play with his siblings later - meditation came first.

 

\- - -

Tenzin felt his body relax as he worked through the forms, trying to empty his mind as he felt the wind flow by his fingertips. He was proud to have inherited Airbending from his father, proud to be able to say that his father was no longer the last Airbender in the world. But that raised another issue: _he_ was the one who had to carry on the tradition of Airbending, and that meant making babies.

Tenzin was old enough now to know where babies came from, and he sometimes worried that any children he might have wouldn’t become Airbenders. After all, he was the only child out of three to have inherited Aang’s bending. What if he his children were non-benders, or inherited their bending from their mother?

Halting his training with a blast of wind to both sides, the teenager frowned down at the ground. He would also be the one to train the next Avatar, whoever that might be. What if he wasn’t a good enough teacher? Sure, he was almost a master Airbender, but that didn’t mean he could teach someone else how to bend.

“Are you trying to learn Earthbending or something?” A familiar voice jolted him out of his thoughts, and he looked up.

“Oh…Hello Lin,” he said, trying his best to be polite. He hadn’t realized the family would be hosting guests, otherwise he would have greeted them in person. But he was glad to see her anyway, despite his confused state of mind.

Lin stared at him intently, mouth dropping into a frown the longer she looked. “Don’t you ‘hello’ me, Tenzin. Something’s wrong, and we both know it.”

Tenzin suppressed a sigh. Lin had always been able to read him well, ever since they were children. “I was just thinking about the future and the role I must play in it,” he replied after a moment. There was no use trying to lie to her - even without Earthbending, she would be able to tell.

“You worry too much, Tenzin,” Lin said, crossing her arms and giving him a measured look. “Whatever happens, happens, and you’ll do fine. I already know what I’m doing in the future, anyway.”

“Oh? And that would be…?”

“I’m going to join the police force. I already told Mother.” Lin smiled, adding, “Together we’ll crush any criminal who dares make a scene in our city!”

Tenzin couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Lin would make a fine police officer, and he was sure all of Republic City would benefit from her protection.

 

\- - -

His father was dead. It seemed impossible, but it was true. Dead at age sixty-six, young by Avatar standards. But it had been his time, or so everyone kept telling him. At least he had gotten to say goodbye, as had the rest of the family.

The gentle breeze tugged at his robes and beard as Tenzin stood gazing up into the night sky. His fears from all those years ago came rushing back in an instant, along with an nearly unbearable sorrow. He hadn’t fathered any more Airbenders before Aang died. He wasn’t even _married_ yet. And it was up to him, and him alone, to teach the next Avatar how to Airbend. He just hoped he was up to the task.

Tenzin closed his eyes, trying to hold back tears. Perhaps he should propose to Lin; after all, they had been dating for a while, and he knew Toph would be pleased to see her daughter married before she died. But he had always told himself he would marry for love, like his parents did, and he wasn’t certain he loved Lin. Liked, respected and admired her yes, but perhaps that was all.

Feeling the sudden urge to fly, Tenzin went to Oogie and took off, letting himself relax the further away he got from the ground. He belonged in the sky, as all Airbenders did. The man let the Air Bison fly as he pleased, not really caring where they were going just so long as they were moving. Holding the reins loosely in one hand, he arranged himself in a meditative position and quickly fell into a semi-trance. He needed time to adjust to everything and consider his future roles as teacher and potential father.

 

\- - -

Four and a half years since his father’s death, and three months since the new Avatar had been discovered in the Southern Water Tribe. The time had seemed so short, but so much had changed. He was married now, and was the representative for the Air Nomads on Republic City’s Council.

“Come to dinner, dear,” Pema said, peering around the doorway and giving her new husband a gentle smile. Tenzin smiled back, a pleasant warmth spreading through him at the mere sound of her voice. He hadn’t expected marriage to be like this, or come in the fashion it had. But as he walked slowly towards the dining room with Pema by his side, the man knew he had made the right decision. And with their first child on the way, he knew his life would only get better and brighter.

 

\- - -

“Achoo!” Tenzin looked up Jinora sneezed, ready to scold her for not covering her nose and mouth, but instead stared in shock as she blasted herself into the air. Quickly slowing her decent with a gust of air, he gathered her in his arms and simply beamed.

“W-What happened, Papa?” the toddler asked in confusion, staring back at him.

“You’re an Airbender! I can’t believe it! You’re an Airbender! Pema!” he shouted, dashing across the courtyard with Jinora snug against his chest. Everything he had hoped for, everything he had dreamed about, had come true. He was no longer the only Airbender in the world, and the Air Nomad’s legacy would live on through his daughter!

Holding Jinora high and spinning her around to make her laugh, Tenzin laughed as well. Oh, how he wished his father had lived to see this day! But Aang would have been proud of him, he knew that much.

“You’re an Airbender!” he repeated joyfully. It seemed his role as teacher would come sooner than he expected.

 

\- - -

“Daddy, Jinora won’t play with me!” Ikki burst into the room with a pout on her face, and Tenzin hid a smile. The two sisters acted a lot like himself and Bumi had done when they were children, and watching them grow brought back amusing - if sometimes embarrassing - memories.

“Did you interrupt her studies again?” he asked her gravely, and she nodded hesitantly.

“Yes, but she can’t read _all_ day, can she? I’d play with Meelo, but he’d probably just want to practice more Airbending.” she said with a small frown.

Something his father had taught him once flashed through his mind, and he rose with a thoughtful smile. “I know something you might enjoy, although it involves an Airbending lesson…”

“What is it, Daddy? Can you tell me? Or show me? Pleeaase?” Ikki begged, a smile spreading across her face.

“I can indeed. Follow me.” Leading his excited daughter to a quiet part of the island, Tenzin took a deep breath and slowly released it, recalling the lesson from long ago.

“This technique is called the air scooter, and it was a one of your grandfather’s favourites. In fact, I believe he invented it,” he explained, watching as Ikki’s expression changed to one of awe. Clearly, Jinora must have told her about it - it was a wonder she hadn’t bugged him to teach it to her.

Surprisingly, she remained silent as the man went through a few warm up moves, then produced a spinning ball of air between his palms. She gasped at the sight and clapped her hands. It was then he realized the point his father had been trying to teach him - sometimes it was alright to let go and have a little fun if the circumstances allowed it.

As he showed Ikki how to perform the move, he decided to teach all of his children how to do it. It was an Airbending technique after all, and they deserved to know it and have a little bit of fun along with their training.


End file.
